Gamma radiation-induced modifications in the physiochemical features of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using microwave technique

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have a wide range of applications, and their properties can be significantly affected by gamma (γ) radiation, particularly in metal oxide semiconductor-based devices. This study investigates the impact of γ-irradiation on the physicochemical properties of ZnO NPs. The ZnO NPs were synthesized using a microwave method with zinc nitrate hexahydrate as a precursor and urea as a fuel. These synthesized ZnO NPs were exposed with γ rays emitted from 60Co radioactive source at different doses (0, 25, 50, and 75 kGy). We systematically examined the effects of γ irradiation on the structure, optical properties, and colloidal stability of the ZnO NPs using various techniques, including XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM, UV–visible absorption, and zeta potential/particle size analysis (ZP/PSA). The characterization results revealed that γ irradiation caused significant alterations in the microstructure of ZnO NPs, resulting in reduced crystallite and grain sizes. Additionally, the optical properties and colloidal stability were found to be dose-dependent, with absorption spectra shifting towards the blue region, an increase in optical bandgap, and a decrease in zeta potential values as the dose rate of γ radiation increased.